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2021 2022 2020 2018 2016 2014 2012 2010 2008 2006 2004 2002 2000 1998 1996 1994 1992 1990 1988 1986 1984 1982 1980 1978 1976 1974 1972 1970 1968 1966 1964 1962 1960 1958 2015 2017 2019 2011 2013 2005 2001 2003 2007 2009 1995 1997 1999 1991 1993 1985 1987 1989 1981 1983 1975 1971 1973 1977 1979 1965 1967 1969 1957 1959 1961 1963 2021 2022 2020 2018 2016 2014 2012 2010 2008 2006 2004 2002 2000 1998 1996 1994 1992 1990 1988 1986 1984 1982 1980 1978 1976 1974 1972 1970 1968 1966 1964 1962 1960 1958 2015 2017 2019 2011 2013 2005 2001 2003 2007 2009 1995 1997 1999 1991 1993 1985 1987 1989 1981 1983 1975 1971 1973 1977 1979 1965 1967 1969 1957 1959 1961 1963 2021 2022 2020 2018 2016 2014 2012 2010 2008 2006 2004 2002 2000 1998 1996 1994 1992 1990 1988 1986 1984 1982 1980 1978 1976 1974 1972 1970 1968 1966 1964 1962 1960 1958 2015 2017 2019 2011 2013 2005 2001 2003 2007 2009 1995 1997 1999 1991 1993 1985 1987 1989 1981 1983 1975 1971 1973 1977 1979 1965 1967 1969 1957 1959 1961 1963 2021 2022 2020 2018 2016 2014 2012 2010 2008 2006 2004 2002 2000 1998 1996 1994 1992 1990 1988 1986 1984 1982 1980 1978 1976 1974 1972 1970 1968 1966 1964 1962 1960 1958 2015 2017 2019 2011 2013 2005 2001 2003 2007 2009 1995 1997 1999 1991 1993 1985 1987 1989 1981 1983 1975 1971 1973 1977 1979 1965 1967 1969 1957 1959 1961 1963 Satellite Charts LAUNCH YEAR DISTANCE FROM EARTH ORBITAL RANGES An orbit is the curved path that an object in space (such as a star, planet, moon, asteroid or spacecraft) takes around another due to gravity. As the Moon orbits around Earth, so other objects float following specific trajectories: / 160-2000 km LEO (Low Earth Orbit) LEO is densely populated with thousands of operational satellites today, primarily addressing science, imaging, and low-bandwidth telecommunications needs. Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite constellation is orbiting at between 400 and 500 km of altitude. MEO (Medium Earth Orbit) / 2000-35,000 km MEO satellites bring fiber-like performance to remote areas where laying fiber is not viable. Examples of remote locations are cruise commercial maritime ships, aircraft, offshore platforms, isolated terrains, and humanitarian relief operations. GEO (Geostationary Earth Orbit) / 35,785 km GEO satellites are positioned at a specific altitude to match the rotation of the Earth as they travel and to remain above the same point on the ground. Hundreds of GEO satellites are in orbit today, traditionally delivering services such as weather data, broadcast TV, and some low-speed data communication. HEO (High Earth Orbit) / Above 35,785 km HEO refers to a geocentric orbit at an altitude higher than the Geosynchronous range, thus having an orbital period greater than 24 hours. The most well- known object in HEO is our Moon, which takes 27 days to orbit the Earth. HEO GEO MEO LEO 200 km 400 km 600 km 800 km 1,000 km 1,000 km 2,000 km 4,000 km 6,000 km 8,000 km 10,000 km 10,000 km 20,000 km 40,000 km 35,785 km 60,000 km 80,000 km 100,000 km 100,000 km 200,000 km 400,000 km 600,000 km Unknown “Satellite Charts” maps past and current artificial satellites orbiting around Earth, pointing out how our terrestrial life became so dependent on what we sent out in space. The main visualization is a beeswarm chart showing 11,972 satellites launched between October 4th, 1957, and March 6th, 2022. Satellites are plotted by launch date and apogee (the maximum orbital distance from Earth). The information positioned along the frame gives more context to the history, use, and disposal of space objects. Since Sputnik, the first satellite launched into Low Earth orbit by the Soviet Union on 4 October 1957, the race to space exploration has grown up steadily. Today, about 100 countries own, control, or co-operate one or more satellites in orbit. In addition to height, eccentricity and inclination also shape a satellite’s orbit. A satellite with a low eccentricity orbit moves in a circle around the Earth. An eccentric orbit is elliptical, with the satellite’s distance from Earth changing depending on where it is in its orbit. Due to the high number of values and length of the rendering process, satellites are spread over 200 km ranges of width, increasing in size at distant altitudes. 160 km Earth 2000 km 35,785 km Moon A global satellite navigation system uses satellites to provide autonomous geo- spatial positioning. Military satellites are employed for intelligence gathering, navigation and military communications. It is difficult to identify the exact number of these due to secrecy and dual purpose missions. satellites were launched as part of Project West Ford, a test carried out by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1961 and 1963. Thousands of copper antennae (needles) were positioned in a medium Earth orbit to be used to create an artificial ionosphere above the Earth and improve US military communication West Ford Needles satellites host cremated human remains launched into space, a procedure known as a space burial. One to seven grams of a person's cremated remains are stored as a secondary payload on launch vehicles Celestis Satellites built for space observation and exploration are operated to explore the cosmo. Under this category are: satellites which analyses cosmic rays, test new technology in non-atmospheric conditions, and studying other planets and natural satellites of the solar system. satellites are meant to facilitate distant classes from the school level to higher education. Students often built their satellites (CubeSats, standard nanosatellite units of 10 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm) with mentorship from NASA engineers. Education satellites are used to fly and test new technologies Experimental The United States' ( ) consists of up to 32 satellites. Operational since 1978 and globally available since 1994, GPS is the world's most utilized satellite navigation system. Global Positioning System GPS The Navigation System is a project by China to develop an independent satellite navigation system. It consists of two separate satellite constellations, for a total of 54 active satellites. Beidou The was the first space program to explore Earth’s orbit and the Moon. Several missions followed like the , etc. Sputnik Gemini, Apollo, Discoverer, Viking Multiple programs have been conducted to fly spacrafts to outer space space probes The formerly Soviet, and now Russian, GLObal NAvigation Satellite System ( ), is a space-based satellite navigation system with full global coverage since 1995 and 24 satellites. GLONASS (meaning cyclone) and (meaning cicada in Russian) are Russian satellite navigation systems. Tsiklon was the first Soviet satellite navigation system. Tsiklon Tsikada is a global navigation satellite system created by the European Union through the European Space Agency (ESA) in 2016. Galileo The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System ( ) is an autonomous regional satellite navigation system that covers India provinding accurate real-time positioning and timing services. IRNSS Moon 384,000 km LEO MEO HEO GEO E Earth observation W Weather N Navigation S Space observation and exploration M Military O Other types of satellites are used to map the entire sky (astronomical survey) and observe selected astronomical objects or parts of the sky and beyond. By being in space, telescopes avoid the distortion of electromagnetic radiation and light pollution. Space telescopes are orbital stations supporting a human crew in space. Each component and transporting vehicle is classified as a satellite as well. The International Space Station (used by the US, Europe, Canada, Japan, and Russia) and the Chinese Tiangong Space Station are the only two operational stations. Space Stations satellites are orbital objects (usually active transponders) used to calibrate ground-based radars. Radar calibration ? 20% 14% E 12% M 4% N 12% O W 1% C 38% is the world’s largest commercial satellite communications services provider Intelsat is a Ukrainian (previously Soviet) military communications satellite constellation operating in low Earth orbit Strela 20% Unknown status 18% Non-operational 58% Debris 1% TBA 9% Rocket bodies ALL-TIME SPACE OBJECTS 25,487 OBJECTS ORBITING IN SPACE 8,168 PAYLOADS ORBITING IN SPACE 67% Decayed objects 62% Operational SPACE OBJECTS The Committee on Space Research has been identifying every artificial object launched in space with a unique number (COSPAR ID). Since 1957 (until March 6th, 2022), 51,688 space objects have been added to the catalog. Currently, there are about 25,487 objects orbiting Earth: about 8,168 are payloads (the actual satellites or spacecrafts); all the rest is space debris. Rocket bodies, launch stage components, and collateral damages created from incidents, malfunction issues, or Anti-Satellite tests pollute the space until they burn down when reentering the atmosphere. About 303 objects have not been identified yet (To Be Assigned, TBA). Of all the payloads in orbit, 5,095 are registered as operational (or partly operational). There are 1,484 non- operational space objects: satellites have yet to be activated or simply not working because they had a technical malfunction or finished their mission. The remaining 1,589 have an unknown status. STATUS COUNTRIES OPERATORS Decayed Non-operational Operational Unknown status Every artificial object orbiting Earth is classified as a satellite. Its status depends on the operational services provided and if it is still or no longer in orbit. It is not easy identifying which nation owns or controls a satellite. Multiple countries can operate space objects due to international projects or leasing. Space is a growing field of investment: it is clear how many companies and organizations are interested in owning or controlling a satellite. - (they burnt to reenter the atmosphere) About one third of the satellites (3,804) are . The rest is still orbiting: 5,095 (42%) are , 1,484 (12%) are while the remaining 1,589 (14%) have an status. Decayed Operational Non-Operational, Unknown 32% 42% 14% 12% The visualization is based on all-time data, so from 1957 to early 2022. The United States and the Commonwealth of Independent States (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Ukraine) dominate the scene since they have been operating the 45% and 30% of satellites respectively. 5,447 United States 3,625 Commonwealth of Independent States 495 United Kingdom 618 China 273 Japan 35 Australia 11 New Zealand 2 Morocco 2 North Korea 2 Bulgaria 2 Belarus 2 Equador 2 Qatar 2 Colombia 6 Nigeria 6 Philippines 6 Iran 1 Angola 1 Tunisia 7 South Africa 7 Belgium 7 Pakistan 1 Kenya 1 Myanmar 1 Mauritius 1 Sudan 1 Kuwait 1 Turkmenistan /Monaco 1 Mongolia 1 Bermuda 1 Nepal 1 Costa Rica 1 Nepal 1 Uruguay 1 Laos 1 Ghana 13 Netherlands 13 Singapore 13 Thailand 5 Hungary 5 Greece 19 Finland 19 Indonesia 52 Italy 10 Lithuania 93 France 12 Mexico 96 Germany 12 Sweden 8 Poland 8 Czechoslovakia 8 Kazakhstan 36 Spain 3 Austria 3 Venezuela 3 Azerbaijan 119 India 17 United Arab Emirates 31 South Korea 27 Israel 19 Taiwan 2 Estonia 2 Rwanda 2 Slovenia 2 Bangladesh 1 Sudan 9 Egypt 7 Malta 7 Ukraine** 6 Algeria 1 Jordan 1 Bolivia 1 Paraguay 1 Romania 1 Portugal 1 Iraq 1 Sri Lanka 13 Denmark 5 Vietnam 10 Luxembourg 12 Norway 14 Switzerland 3 Chile 17 Turkey 15 Saudi Arabia 4 Perù 41 Argentina 73 Canada 25 Brazil 64% Small size SPACE DEBRIS Orbital debris is any human-made object in orbit about the Earth that does not function anymore. Such debris includes nonfunctional spacecraft, abandoned launch vehicle stages, mission-related debris, and fragmentation debris. Not portrayed in the chart, the number of orbiting debris was 14,734 as of March 6th, 2022. 18,354 space debris registered were instead already decayed. Most of space debris fly in Low Earth Orbit, which slowsly become an orbital space junkyard. Due to the rate of speed and volume, space debris must be tracked to avoid collisions with other satellites and interfere with space operations, as well as a possible risk to human life on Earth. Active Removal The European Space Agency has studied how the number of debris objects would continue to grow due to the collision rate, even in a future scenario in which no further objects are launched into space. Technologies and procedures for Active Removal of space debris are currently being studied and tested, with a few already active projects. 18% Unknown 4% Large size 14% Medium size 55% Decayed 33,088 DEBRIS (ALL TIME DATA) 14,734 CURRENTLY ORBITING DEBRIS END LIFE The average satellite lifespan is about 15 years; many continue to operate for longer. What to do then, when they terminate their work? Small satellites in Low Earth Orbit can be simply pushed closer to Earth’s atmosphere, where they incinerate. Larger satellites cannot follow the same process: they may cause harm to the population if they do not disintegrate correctly. To avoid the risk, retired satellites are often deorbited to a space graveyard or brought down to specific points on Earth. Oceanic Point of Inaccessibilty Graveyard Orbit (GEO+300km) To eliminate the collision risk, GEO satellites are usually moved out of the geostationary ring at the end of their mission. 300 km is considered a safe distance to avoid future interference with active GEO spacecraft. Satellites have to stop operations three months before terminating the fuel and give up considerable revenue to be de- orbited correctly. Point Nemo Point Nemo is about 2,688 kilometers away from the nearest land in the middle of the South Pacific. Also known as Point of Oceanic Inaccessibility, the watery graveyard holds hundreds of decommissioned satellites and space stations. The International Space Station is planned to crash here in 2031. ASAT WEAPONS SOURCES Although no ASAT system has yet been utilized in warfare, countries like Russia, the United States, China, and India have successfully shot down their own satellites to demonstrate their ASAT capabilities. ASATs have also been used to remove decommissioned satellites. Besides accidental break-ups, satellite interceptions by surface-launched missiles have been a major contributor to space debris in the recent past. Anti-satellite weapons (ASAT) are space weapons designed to incapacitate or destroy satellites for strategic or tactical  purposes. Several nations possess operational ASAT systems. A striking example is the recent Russian ASAT test of November 15th, 2021. The country shot at a defunct Soviet satellite (Cosmos 1408) that hasn't functioned since the 1980s. The impact threatened the lives of the astronauts present on the International Space Station and caused about 1,561 debris. Only 8.7% has decayed as of March 6th, 2022. COSMOS 1408 DEBRIS Decayed Orbiting 1,810 SpaceX Chinese Ministry of National Defense 134 Planet Labs, Inc. 187 OneWeb 394 China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) 40 3 Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) 4 48 SES S.A. 39 European Space Agency (ESA) National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) 37 120 Spire Global Inc. Swarm Technologies 119 Ministry of Defense 109 Chinese Academy of Sciences 10 1 Echostar Satellite Services, LLC 1 1 Tyvak Nanosatellite Systems, Inc. 1 1 Cabinet Satellite Intelligence Center (CSIC) 1 2 EuMetSat 1 (European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites) 2 Russian Satellite Communications Company 1 2 BlackSky Global 1 2 Telesat Canada Ltd. (BCE, Inc.) 1 3 HS-601 1 5 Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology 1 5 Kepler Communications 1 4 China Satellite Communication Corp. (China Satcom) 1 4 Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) 1 4 National Reconnaissance Office (NRO)/US Air Force 1 7 Aerospace Corporation 1 8 Gonets Satcom 1 8 China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. (CASC) 1 6 China National Academy of Sciences (CNSAS) 1 21 Satellogic S.A. 20 O3b Networks Ltd. 24 NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) 26 USA Air Force 24 Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co. Ltd. 26 EUTELSAT S.A. 25 LS-1300 Astrocast 10 InMarSat 10 China Meteorological Administration 10 Military Satellite Communications - US Air Force 10 Sky Perfect JSAT Corporation 10 DirecTV, Inc. 10 Ningxia Jingui Information Technology Co. Ltd. 10 5 DoD/US Air Force 3 3 Intelsat S.A. 3 2 ORBCOMM Inc. 3 2 Globalstar 3 75 Iridium Communications, Inc. The visualization organizes satellites by their operators (companies, organizations, etc.), showing only those monitoring more than 10 satellites. The information is based on all-time data. Source: n2yo.com 2 ICEYE Ltd. 1 OneWeb, a joint venture with Airbus Defence and Space, aims to bring satellite Internet services with a constellation of 648 satellites 3.2% OneWeb Planet Labs, accounting for the 1.5%, is a public Earth imaging company based in San Francisco 1.5% Planet Labs More than 500 other companies and organizations have been left out of this chart. These operators controlled one to nine satellite each, about the 40% of all the satellites portrayed in the main beeswarm chart. Elon Musk’s SpaceX satellites, which provide space transportation and communications services, dominate the scene 15% SpaceX Databases: n2yo.com space-track.org celestrack.org ucsusa.org heavens-above.com satbeams.com The chart has been realised by assembling multiple datasets and sources. More information can be found at www.satellitecharts.xyz Information: nasa.gov aerospace.csis.org esa.int astronautix.com satellitetoday.com space.com space.skyrocket.de Source: n2yo.com Source: celestrack.org **Ukraine mainly produced Earth observation satellites and CubeSats in cooperation with Russia and other countries of the CIS organization. Out of the seven satellites listed, only one was operational at the beginning of the Russian invasion. Ukraine benefitted from Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites and US intelligence forces to keep the communication services running in the country and among the troops. Assigning a unique category to each satellite is not an easy task. Satellites can have multiple purposes like space exploration and experimenting with new technologies, and be employed for civilian and military use. This pie chart visualization has been designed by assembling multiple sources and databases. Therefore, it is not flawless or complete. Earth Observation satellites are intended for non-military uses such as environmental monitoring, meteorology, and cartography. They can vary according to the type of orbit, payload, spatial resolution, and sensors CATEGORIES Satellites can operate by themselves or as part of a larger constellation. Space stations and human spacecraft in orbit are classified as satellites. Source: n2yo.com satellites provide service civil aviation in all phases of flight. Satellite-based augmentation system satellites are a unique constellation that delivers daily high frequency imaging anywhere on the globe. Disaster Monitoring nanosatellites are part of a remote sensing commercial satellite constellation that provides global ship tracking and weather monitoring. Lemur C Communication Communication satellites are used for television, telephone, radio, internet, and military applications. Most communications satellites are in geostationary orbit so that satellite dish antennas of ground stations do not have to move to track the satellite. satellites monitor Earth's oceans, ice caps, and coastal regions. They provide global measurements of wind speed and direction, wave height, surface temperature, cloud cover, etc. Earth resource satellites are designed to provide a way for vessels at sea and in the air to communicate from remote areas. These satellites can locate emergency beacons carried by ships, aircrafts, or individuals in remote places. Search and rescue Weather satellites are used to monitor the weather and climate of the Earth. These meteorological satellites do not only collect information on clouds but also on city lights, fires, pollution, storms, etc. is a Chinese earth-observing and remote-sensing satellite platform used for scientific experiments, land survey, crop yield assessment, and disaster monitoring. Yaogan is a satellite constellation of CubeSats operated by Planet Labs dedicated to Earth Observations. A fleet of small satellites generate high- resolution images of Earth, achieving resolutions of three to five meters. Flock The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite ( ) constellation supports weather forecasting, storm tracking, and meteorology research. GOES satellites are operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, an American scientific agency that forecasts weather, and monitors oceanic and atmospheric conditions in the US exclusive economic zone. NOAA is a Luxembourgish satellite constellation providing low-latency broadband connectivity to remote locations, for mobile network operators and internet service providers. O3B The is a planned initial 648- satellite constellation which is in the process of being completed, with a goal to provide global satellite Internet broadband services to people everywhere. OneWeb is a family of LEO communications satellites, operated by the American satellite communications company Orbcomm Orbcomm were the first Soviet geosynchronous communications satellite. Two Radugas could handle all communications of the Russian eastern regions. Raduga is a satellite internet constellation operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX providing Internet coverage. Starlink consists of over 2,000 mass- produced small satellites in Low Earth Orbit which communicate with designated ground transceivers. Starlink are geostationary satellites delivering television programming. The signals are received via an outdoor parabolic antenna (satellite dish). TV satellites The (TDRSS) is a network of communications satellites and ground stations used by NASA for space communication. Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System satellites, operated by an American broadcasting company, provide satellite and online radio services in the United States. Sirius XM is a Russian, formerly Soviet, military space-based radio surveillance system. It is capable of determining the exact location of radio-emitting objects and also their type, modes of operation, and how active they are Tselina The series satellites are military and communications satellites launched by the Soviet Union from 1965 to 2004. Molniya provides satellite voice and data service across the United States and to over 120 countries worldwide. Globalstar is a Russian civilian communication satellite system in Low Earth Orbit, derived from Strela military communication satellites. Gonets satellites are specifically designed to be used by amateur radio (licensed) operators. Many amateur satellites receive an OSCAR designation, which is an acronym for Orbiting Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio. Amateur radio is a series of 35 Russian geosynchronous communication satellites launched between 1978 and 2000 is a Russian, previously Soviet satellite constellation used for communication and navigation Gorizont Parus satellite constellation allows worldwide voice and data communications using handheld devices. The Iridium network covers the whole earth, including poles, oceans, and airways. Iridium (05 Sep 1977 - ) Voyager 1 was a NASA space probe with the goal of analysing the outer Solar System and interstellar space beyond the Sun's heliosphere. 45 years later, it still communicates with the Deep Space Network to receive routine commands and transmit data to Earth. It carries onboard the Voyager Golden Records. VOYAGER 1 S (21 Dec 1964 - 11 Jan 1965) OPS 3762, also known as FTV-2355, was an American reconnaissance satellite launched in 1964. Its mission was to demonstrate radar imaging techniques for future missions. OPS was the initial designation for US military satellites, then replaced with the USA. OPS 3762 M (08 Apr 1964 - 12 Apr 1964) Gemini 1 was the first mission in NASA's Gemini program. It consisted of an uncrewed test flight to test the structural integrity of the new spacecraft and launch vehicle and the bespoke tracking and communication systems. GEMINI 1 S (19 Dec 1978 - ) Gorizont is a series of 35 Russian geosynchronous communications satellites launched between 1978 and 2000. The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic initiated the program to develop a satellite system to relay coverage of the 1980 Olympic Games from Moscow. GORIZONT 1 C (16 Oct 1975 - ) GOES-1 was a weather satellite developed by the NASA and operated by the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It was the first Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) to be launched. GOES 1 W (10 Dec 1974 - ) Helios-A and Helios-B (after launch renamed Helios 1 and Helios 2) are a pair of probes that were launched into heliocentric orbit to study solar processes. Developed as a joint venture of West Germany's space agency and NASA. HELIOS 1 S (1 Dec 1989 - 25 May 1999 ) The International Astrophysical Observatory "GRANAT" was a Soviet space observatory dedicated X-ray/gamma ray astronomy, developed in collaboration with France, Denmark and Bulgaria. GRANAT S (04 Apr 1983 - ) TDRS-1 was operated by NASA as part of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System for space communication to support manned flight missions. The TDRS constellation is now composed of 13 satellites. TDRS 1 C (03 Apr 1996 - ) Inmarsat is a British satellite telecommunications company offering global mobile services. In March 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared with 239 passengers and crew en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Analysis by Inmarsat determined that the aircraft flew into the southern Indian Ocean and was used to guide the search for it. INMARSAT 3-F1 C (30 Oct 2000 - ) The BD 1 satellites were the first phase of the Chinese Beidou (Compass) satellite navigation system with geostationary satellites. The basic constellation requires three satellites. BEIDOU 1 N (18 Mar 2001 - ) American XM 1 and XM 2 satellites (nicknamed "Rock" and "Roll") were designed to provide digital audio radio programming to cars, homes, and portable radios. They later suffered from a generic failure: XM 1 was retired and moved into a graveyard orbit above the geostationary belt. XM-1 ROLL C (9 Jun 2001 - ) IS-901 was the first of nine new Intelsat satellites launched in June 2001. A few years later ran out of fuel and retired to the satellite graveyard. In February, it was brought back into geostationary orbit, from where it now serves over 30 customers. INTELSAT 901 C (21 Dec 2015 - ) EUMETSAT operates the Meteosat weather satellites. Meteosat-9 now delivers images every five minutes over Europe only and detects rapidly developing high-impact weather. METEOSAT 9 W (19 Oct 2008 - ) Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) is a small explorer NASA mission to map the boundary of the solar system. It has "telescopes" that look out toward the edge of the solar system. IBEX O (11 Sep 2010 - ) The Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) is developed by the Japanese government to enhance the United States-operated GPS satellites in the Asia-Oceania regions. The total number of satellites will be 7. QZS-1 N (01 Jul 2013 - ) The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) is an autonomous regional satellite navigation system developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) under the complete control of the Indian government. The constellation consists of 8 satellites. IRNSS 1A N (22 Feb 1978 - ) OPS 5111, also known as Navstar 1, NDS-1, GPS I-1 and GPS SVN-1, was an American navigation satellite launched in 1978 as part of the Global Positioning System development program. It was the first GPS satellite to be launched. NAVSTAR 1 N (12 Oct 1982 - ) Cosmos 1413, the first GLONASS satellite of the Russian fleet of the GLONASS radio-based satellite navigation system. The satellites' designs have undergone several upgrades: by 2010, GLONASS had achieved full coverage of Russia's territory. GLONASS N (11 Dec 1970 - ) NOAA-1 was a weather satellite operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It was the first polar- orbiting environmental satellite (POES) for long- term forecasting. The satellites carry search and rescue instruments and have helped save the lives of about 10,000 people to date. NOAA 1 W (21 Dec 2005 - ) The Strela 3M (or COSMOS 2416) belongs to a constellation of Russian communications satellites operating in low Earth orbit. The satellites can transmit encrypted messages and images: they remember the received messages and then resend them after a scheduled time or by a command from the Earth. STRELA 3M-1 C (27 Feb 2019 - ) The OneWeb satellite constellation is a planned initial 648-satellite constellation intending to provide global satellite Internet broadband services to people everywhere. OneWeb's first six satellites were launched in February 2019: the constellation is in the process of being completed. ONEWEB-0006 C (17 Mar 1958 - ) Vanguard 1 is an American satellite designed to test launch capabilities and the effects of the space environment on a satellite. Although communications with the satellite got lost in 1964, it remains the oldest human-made object still in orbit, together with the upper stage of its launch vehicle VANGUARD 1 S (10 Jul 1962 - ) Telstar 1 was a NASA satellite that allowed the first live broadcast of television images between the US and Europe. It remained active for only seven months before it prematurely failed due to Starfish Prime, a high- altitude nuclear test conducted by the United States. Although it no longer works, it is still in Earth's orbit. TELSTAR 1 C (09 May 1963 - ) The DASH (Density And Scale Height) satellites were 2.5-m-diameter balloons used to measure air densities at altitudes of 3500 km. The satellite was part of the Project West Ford, a test carried out in 1961 and 1963 to create an artificial ionosphere above the Earth to improve US military communications. DASH 1 O (25 Apr 1966 - 11 Jun 1973) The Molniya series was a military communications satellite system used by the Soviet Union suited for communications purposes in polar regions. The Molniya 1 took the first images of the whole Earth in history. MOLNIYA 1-3 M (04 May 1976 - ) LAGEOS (Laser Geodynamics Satellite) is a series of two scientific research satellites designed to provide accurate measurements of the satellite's position to Earth, the planet's shape (geoid), and its tectonic plate movements associated with continental drift. LAGEOS 1 E (04 Oct 1957-03 Jan 1958) Sputnik 1 was the first artificial Earth satellite. It was launched into an elliptical low Earth orbit by the Soviet Union. It orbited for three weeks before its batteries ran out and fell back into the atmosphere a few months later. SPUTNIK 1 S (15 Nov 1961 - ) The Transit Research And Attitude Control (TRAAC) satellite was launched by the US Navy. It was used to test the feasibility of using the Earth's gravitational attraction to orient and stabilize a vehicle in space. TRAAC played a key role in monitoring the Starfish Prime space-based nuclear test. TRAAC M (21 Jan 1981 - ) Cosmos 1241 was a Soviet satellite launched from the Plesetsk cosmodrome aboard a Kosmos rocket. It has been used as an ASAT (anti-satellite) target for the Cosmos 1243 and 1258 interceptors. COSMOS 1241 M (14 Nov 1986 - ) Polar Bear (Polar Beacon and Research) was a military mission designed to study communications interference caused by solar flares and increased auroral activity. POLAR BEAR O (31 May 1967 - ) The Calsphere (Calibration Sphere) satellites were passive spherical surveillance calibration targets built by the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL). SURCAL 159 O (15 May 1967 - ) Cosmos 158 was the first prototype of the Soviet navigation satellite Tsiklon (meaning cyclone). The system is now operated by the Russian Space Forces. COSMOS 158 M (18 Oct 1989 - 21 Sep 2003) Galileo is a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) that went live in 2016, created by the European Space Agency (ESA). Although similar in design to the American GPS system and the Russian GLONASS navigation network, Galileo will be controlled by strictly civilian organizations. GALILEO ORBITER N (10 May 1999 - ) FY is the first generation of Chinese polar- orbiting meteorological satellites, consisting of four satellites. The intentional destruction of FY-1C created 2,841 high-velocity debris items, more than any other space mission in history. FENGYUN 1C W (26 Jun 2013 - ) O3B is a satellite constellation designed to provide low-latency broadband connectivity to remote locations. O3B originally stood for "other three billion", or the other three billion people at the time that did not have stable internet access. O3B PFM C (30 Jun 2003 - ) The CanX-1 is a CubeSat, a miniaturized satellite for space research, composed of multiple cubic modules 10 cm per side. Constructed by the University of Toronto, its goal was to test low-cost and low-power space technologies. Some CubeSats have become countries' first-ever satellites launched by universities, state-owned, or private companies. CANX-1 O (13 Apr 1960 - 05 Oct 1967) Navy Transit 1B was the first experimental orbital navigation satellite. Transit spacecraft were developed for updating the inertial navigation systems on board US Navy Polaris submarines and later for civilian use. Transit used a constellation of five satellites and could provide a navigational fix approximately once per hour. TRANSIT 1B N (12 Dec 1961 - 31 Jan 1962 ) OSCAR I is the first amateur radio satellite launched by Project OSCAR into low Earth orbit. For three weeks, it transmitted its Morse Code message "HI". To this day, several organizations identify their Morse-transmitting satellites with "HI" which also indicates laughter in amateur telegraphy. OSCAR 1 C (23 Apr 1967 - 24 Apr 1967 ) Launched into orbit on April 23rd, 1967, carrying cosmonaut colonel Vladimir Komarov, Soyuz 1 was the first crewed flight of the Soviet Soyuz spacecraft. The flight had several technical issues; Komarov lost his life when the descent module crashed into the ground due to a parachute failure. It was the first in-flight fatality in the history of spaceflight. SOYUZ 1 O (14 May 1973 - 11 Jul 1969 ) Skylab was the first United States space station launched by NASA, occupied for about 24 weeks. Unable to be re-boosted by the Space Shuttle, which was not ready until 1981, Skylab's orbit decayed and disintegrated in the atmosphere scattering debris across the Indian Ocean and Western Australia. SKYLAB 1 O (29 Apr 2021 - ) Tianhe is the core module (and first launched) of the modular Chinese Space Station Tiangong, which is currently under construction in low Earth orbit between 340 and 450 km from Earth. Once completed, Tiangong will be about one-fifth of the International Space Station. CSS (TIANHE-1) O (28 Feb 1959 - 03 Mar 1959) The Discoverer program was part of the secret Corona program. The Corona satellites were employed to produce maps and charts for the US Department of Defense, and photographic surveillance of the Soviet Union, the People's Republic of China, and other areas. Concrete arrows calibration targets were located in the Arizona desert to help calibrate the cameras of the satellites DISCOVERER 1 M (05 May 1997 - ) The Iridium constellation of 66 satellites provides global mobile telecommunications services. Motorola's Satellite Communications Group commissioned the project in the 80s, with the first satellites developed between 1993 and 1998. IRIDIUM 4 C (08 Oct 2009 - ) WV 2 is the third commercial Earth observation satellite owned by DigitalGlobe: it provides commercially available panchromatic imagery of 0.46 m resolution available with Maxar products. It takes a new photograph of any place on Earth every 1.1 days. WORLDVIEW 2 E (26 Apr 2006 - ) Chinese Yaogan Satellites are mainly used for scientific experiments, land survey, crop yield assessment, and disaster monitoring. Each satellite in the series has a specific purposes: YAOGAN 1 acquires 2 or 3d images with a Synthetic-aperture radar (SAR). YAOGAN 1 E (03 Apr 2014 - ) Sentinel-1 is the first of the Copernicus Programme satellite constellation conducted by the European Space Agency. Sentinel-1A and Sentinel-1B provide data for land and sea monitoring, natural disaster mapping, sea ice observations, and ship detection. SENTINEL 1A E (19 Jun 2014 - ) Flock is a satellite constellation of CubeSats for Earth imaging. The operational constellation began deployment in 2014 and uses a combination of shorter and longer- lived orbits being launched from the International Space Station and different orbital launch vehicles. FLOCK 1C 1 E (25 Jun 2019 - ) The Orbital Test Bed is a small satellite that hosts several experiments from different customers, like Celestis, a company bringing into space cremated human remains. This capsule is called the Heritage Flight. CELESTIS OTB O (07 Apr 1971 - ) Cosmos 405 was a Soviet ELINT (Electronic and Signals Intelligence) satellite launched to test the Tselina military space-based radio surveillance system. It could determine the exact location of radio-emitting objects and their type, modes of operation, and how active they were. COSMOS 405 M (16 Sep 1982 - ) On November 15th, 2021, a surface-launched ASAT missile operated by Russia destroyed the defunct Soviet satellite Cosmos 1408. The incident caused a debris cloud of thousands of pieces and threatened the lives of 7 astronauts present on the International Space Station. COSMOS 1408 M (24 Apr 1990 - ) The Hubble Space Telescope is one of the largest and most versatile space telescope launched into low Earth orbit. HST was designed to be modular so that on subsequent shuttle missions it could be recovered, have faulty or obsolete parts replaced. HST O (20 Nov 1998 - ) Zarya, also known as the Functional Cargo Block, is the first module of the International Space Station to have been launched. It provided electrical power, storage, propulsion, and guidance to the ISS during the initial stage of assembly. The ISS is composed of 16 pressurized modules: six are Russian, eight from US, two made in Japan and one European ISS (ZARYA) O (12 Dec 2012 - ) Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3 Unit 2 is the first satellite successfully launched from North Korea, an Earth observation spacecraft. Two previous KMS satellites failed to reach orbit. KMS 3-2 E (04 Nov 2014 - ) ChubuSat 1 was a Japanese micro- satellite built by Nagoya University and Daido University to conduct space debris observation. It was followed by other three Chubusat satellites, also not operational anymore. CHUBUSAT 1 O (2020-) Elon Musk’s SpaceX company operates the Starlink satellite constellation. The goal is to provide internet access to remote areas on the planet. More than 2000 Starlinks have been launched and mostly orbited in LEO, around 540-550 km of altitude from Earth Starlink Satellite Constellation C (23 Jun 2017 - ) The Lemur-2 nanosatellite series provides global ship tracking and weather monitoring. The KUNGFOO gathers weather data for government and commercial customers. LEMUR 2 KUNGFOO W (3 Dec 2018 - ) Orbital Reflector is a reflective, nonfunctional satellite by artist Trevor Paglen and the Nevada Museum of Art. The 30 m sculpture orbits in Low Earth orbit, launched in space by a SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket. OBJECT P O (13 Jan 2003 - 30 Aug 2010) ICESat (Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite) was a NASA satellite mission for measuring ice sheet mass balance, cloud and aerosol heights, land topography and vegetation characteristics. It operated for seven years before being retired after its scientific payload shut down. ICESAT E

Research, design, and code by Cinzia Bongino

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